Despite growing up in Utah County, where hockey is a sport played in a parking lot on rollerblades, I have some how managed to always be a hockey fan.
Over the last semester, I was given the assignment to cover the IceCats hockey team for the Daily Universe. With this assignment I had the opportunity to accompany the team on their road trip to California last weekend.
Not only have I been able to learn a lot about the game of hockey over the past few months, but also I have been able to learn about an amazing organization, particularly this past weekend.
First of all, the team has been fortunate to receive financial support from some local sponsors like Neways and 24 Hour Fitness. Along with the generous sponsorships, there are a number of individuals who volunteer their time to help run the team, including the team general manager, Julie Damron, and head coach Matt Beaudry, who, according to his wife, puts in 20-40 hours a week.
Another great aspect of the organization that wouldn?t be hard for anyone to point out if they were to spend time with the team is that the IceCats are almost the exact definition of what a team should be. Being on the road with the team, I was able to see them come together on and off the ice.
Off the ice, they put together a fireside for the Latter-day Saints in the San Jose area. Those in attendance were impressed. On the ice, the team displayed a tremendous amount of heart as they put together a thrilling comeback to tie San Jose State on Friday. In Saturday?s game, the story was the same, but this time the comeback was for the win.
This last weekend, the IceCats showed their true colors. They showed what they, as a team and as an organization, are all about.
From day one of covering the IceCats, everyone on the team made sure I understood their goal. That of course, is to ?Make it to Michigan? for this year?s national tournament. With each game they are coming closer and closer. You can see their desire, determination and discipline as they strive to achieve this goal.
Keep up the good work boys.